The First Advanced Homie

When he returned to the defense zone handled by the Uchiha Clan, the clan members were cleaning up the battlefield. The ground around them was pockmarked, with traces of ninjutsu bombardment everywhere.

As far as the eye could see, the forests near Kikyo Mountain had almost all been snapped apart, like a bite taken out of the edge of a green cake. Farther away, the sea of trees was riddled with holes, as though chunks had been scooped from the cake, and smoke still rose from many places.

Kikyo Castle behind Kikyo Mountain was also shrouded in smoke. Many houses had either collapsed completely or partially, and hardly any remained intact.

Although the Battle of Kikyo Mountain had lasted only a little over half a day, its intensity had been extremely high.

Konoha's losses were significant. Repairing Kikyo Castle alone would cost a great deal.

Along the way, not a single Uchiha Clan ninja was happy about the victory. Every one of them wore a grim expression, sorrow hidden in their eyes.

Influenced by the surroundings and his clansmen, Uchiha Gen also put on a serious face. In a situation like this, it would be inappropriate to be happy.

"Captain, I'm back."

Uchiha Yashiro was sitting on the grass with one arm in a sling, resting with his head lowered. Hearing this, he raised his head.

Seeing Uchiha Gen, the genius he thought highly of, return unharmed made Uchiha Yashiro very happy. However, he did not show it. He kept a straight face and spoke calmly.

"Mm. Go help out."

"Yes."

Uchiha Gen did not mind. He gave a slight bow and left.

Most Uchiha Clan ninjas were rather proud, and some of them had especially sharp tongues. To put it bluntly, they were rather self-centered.

It was not as obvious toward fellow clansmen, but it was much more apparent toward outsiders.

This was also why Uchiha Clan ninjas were not particularly popular. Self-centered people were unpopular regardless of their background.

During times of crisis, their emotions were relatively exposed. When there was no crisis, they became very reserved and stubbornly refused to admit what they felt.

However, the ordinary people of the Uchiha Clan were quite normal. They had not been affected by the Sharingan.

Ninja was a profession that valued efficiency, and it did not take long for the battlefield to be cleaned up.

Because the Uchiha Clan was responsible for the Military Police Force, they were the first to leave the battlefield and return to Konoha. However, that did not mean they could rest.

The Uchiha Clan and another group of ninjas had to guide all the villagers from the shelters back into the village. By the time everything was finished, it was completely dark.

The Uchiha Clan ninjas dragged their exhausted bodies back to the clan grounds to rest. Some were even more miserable, as they still had to continue patrol duty and could not rest until the shift change the next morning.

Uchiha Gen was not currently part of the Military Police Force. He belonged to the frontline combat unit, and as a genius, he naturally did not need to stand guard. He could go home and rest.

After returning home, Uchiha Gen removed his ninja tools and armor, took off his tight-fitting clothes and boots, changed into loose casual wear, and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

He had been busy from last night until this evening, eating only a few Soldier Pills and drinking some water. Since he was still growing, Uchiha Gen had long been hungry and exhausted.

Being both tired and hungry, he did not feel like making anything elaborate. He cooked a pot of rice, stir-fried shredded potatoes with meat, grabbed a plate of pickles, and made do with that.

Uchiha Gen was not someone who mistreated himself. As long as he had free time, he would never be careless about meals. If he could eat something good, he would never settle for anything inferior.

With the inheritance left by his original parents, along with the increased dividends he received after awakening the Sharingan, Uchiha Gen could not be considered particularly wealthy, but he was certainly not poor either.

In modern terms, he would be considered middle class.

In the brightly lit dining room, Uchiha Gen was diligently eating when he suddenly heard crying. He looked outside through the open screen window.

Judging from the direction, it was coming from within the clan grounds...

Had the bad news reached them?

It was not just the Uchiha. Tonight, all of Konoha was probably blanketed by the sound of crying, wasn't it?

Though he did not have exact figures, judging by the brutality of the battlefield, Konoha's losses were probably substantial.

Sigh...

Uchiha Gen let out a soft sigh and continued eating.

People needed food to live. Missing a meal left you starving. Since he could not change the situation, there was no point overthinking it or draining himself mentally.

After eating, Uchiha Gen had no intention of washing the dishes. He put the bowls, chopsticks, and plates into the sink to soak, then went to wash up and sleep.

Nothing happened that night. Some matters were not Uchiha Gen's concern, and there was no need for him to worry about them.

After a good night's rest, Uchiha Gen was fully refreshed the next morning. He quickly made some breakfast, ate it, washed last night's dishes along with it, and then headed out.

Since he had risen early, there were few people on the streets of the clan grounds. However, he did run into some Military Police Force ninjas who had just finished their patrols, their faces full of exhaustion.

"Gen, where are you going so early?"

"To train in the forest."

"Gen really is diligent. No wonder he's the genius of our Uchiha Clan."

"You flatter me. Hurry home and rest. You've been tired for so long."

"That's true. See you later, then."

After dealing with the ninja he had encountered, Uchiha Gen left the clan grounds and went alone deep into the forest belonging to the Uchiha Clan at the edge of Konoha.

Looking at the lush, rolling green sea of trees, Uchiha Gen swiftly formed hand seals and mobilized his Chakra.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!

Orange-red flames erupted from Uchiha Gen's mouth, gathering into a sphere under the control of his Chakra. The sphere then rolled forward.

Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

Wind fed the flames, and Uchiha Gen's series of moves quickly set an entire stretch of forest ablaze.

That was not all. Uchiha Gen continued using Fire Release and Wind Release, making the blaze fiercer and reducing the smoke it produced so as not to draw attention.

Only when his Chakra was nearly depleted did Uchiha Gen stop. Looking at the endless sea of flames before him, so hot that the air above it twisted and warped, he nodded in satisfaction.

The only drawback was that this sea of fire had been created by Chakra nature transformation flames, so it would be countered by abilities like Rinnegan: Sealing Technique Absorption Seal.

However, that was fine. This flaw would soon disappear. He only needed to let the newly born Homie devour natural flames, since it fed on fire to begin with.

Sealing Technique Absorption Seal could absorb flames produced by Chakra nature transformation, but it could not absorb natural fire. Mixing in natural fire was similar to using Sage Chakra to release Fire Release.

"Be born, my precious!"

Uchiha Gen shouted in an embarrassingly dramatic manner, his face full of excitement.

At the same time, he inserted his right hand into his body and extracted a small portion of his soul and most of the lifespan he had accumulated. A white sphere emitting a soft glow appeared, and with a swing of his arm, he shot it into the sea of flames.

The burning sea of fire froze for an instant. Then, a huge and eerie face surfaced within the flames. "Gahhahaha..." An eerie, wild laugh rang out, after which the sea of fire rapidly shrank and transformed into a streak of light that flew out.

Behind the streak of light remained only a vast expanse of scorched black earth, without smoke or even the slightest trace of flame.

Uchiha Gen held out his left arm, and the streak of light stopped above his palm, revealing its form.

It was a crimson fire dragon with antlers like a deer's, a head like a camel's, eyes like a rabbit's, a neck like a snake's, a belly like a clam's, scales like a fish's, claws like an eagle's, paws like a tiger's, and ears like an ox's. It was about a foot long and looked exceptionally tiny and adorable.

"Master."

The crimson fire dragon raised its head to glance at Uchiha Gen. Its eyes were lively, and its miniature dragon body circled around on his palm. Its voice was not childish at all, but mature and deep.

"Mm. Do you want a name?"

Uchiha Gen nodded slightly and asked with a smile.

"Yes."

"From now on, your name will be Zhurong."

Big Mom's fire Homie was called Prometheus, the god who stole fire in Western mythology. His first advanced Homie could not have an inferior name either.

"Zhu... rong. Zhurong. That will be my name."

"Zhurong, do not speak or appear without my permission from now on. My strength is not sufficient yet. This is not the time for you to officially reveal yourself."

"I understand, Master."

Uchiha Gen was very satisfied as he looked at the obedient Zhurong, but he also felt somewhat troubled. How was he supposed to carry this thing around?

Should he put it in his ninja tool pouch, or hide it beneath loose clothing?

It was wartime now. Loose clothes would affect combat, but putting it in a ninja tool pouch would be too cramped...

This was an advanced Homie made from his own soul. It would never betray him. It could be said to be even closer to him than his future children, so he could not mistreat it.

"Zhurong, do you have a way to stay by my side without being discovered?"

"My soul and the Master's soul are originally one. I can attach my body to a certain part of the Master's body, while my soul merges into that part to rest. That way, I will not be discovered."

Oh? It even had that function?

No wonder it had not been shown in One Piece. Why would Big Mom ever need to hide anything?

"Then attach yourself to my left forearm."

"Yes, Master."

Zhurong's dragon body moved and vanished.

Uchiha Gen felt a slight warmth on his left forearm. When he lifted his sleeve, he saw a lifelike fire dragon tattoo appear on his arm.

"Wonderful!"

Uchiha Gen praised it, then left happily.

Friends reading this book, please don't let it sit in your library! The editor said Naruto fanfiction needs either the potential to become a major hit or one or two hundred daily readers while going without promotion before it can be signed. You don't want your favorites, recommendation votes, investments, and time to go to waste either, right? Sob...